Don Myers, co-founder of Cha Cha’s Latin Kitchen and Brunos Italian Kitchen, two restaurants that helped redefine the downtown Brea dining landscape, has died.
Myers passed away July 1. He was 66.
According to a message posted to Brunos Italian Kitchen’s social media platforms: “To many, he was known as the “Mayor of Brea” — a nickname that spoke to his magnetic personality and deep connection to the community. He had an incredible way of making everyone feel seen. Whether it was your first visit or your hundredth, he greeted you with a giant smile and genuine warmth.”
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The message goes on to note, “He didn’t just build a restaurant — he built a community. And we are all better for having known him.”
Myers got his start in the food industry as a teenage busser at Casa Molina in Arizona (he also attended the University of Arizona, according to his LinkedIn profile), moving to Orange County in the early 1980s.
He had a lengthy career in hospitality management and ownership, including holding the title of president of seafood restaurants at Taps Fish House and Brewery in Brea and the Catch in Anaheim, as well as joint venture partner for Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine in Rancho Mirage, Dallas and Chicago.
In 2011, Myers held a fundraiser for a Cha Cha’s bartender who was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. He was named Restaurateur of the Year by the Orange County Business Journal in 2014.
No cause of death was provided by the family. Myers is survived by two children and leaves behind his wife, Ester Myers.